Construction will begin this month on the next portion of the Kickapoo Rail Trail, the 24.5-mile multi-use trail that will connect Urbana to Kickapoo State Park in Vermilion County.
The newest piece of construction is a 3.6-mile tract that connects the existing trail in St. Joseph to the Ogden stretch.
Initial work will include site prep along the former rail bed. The Champaign County Forest Preserve is working with Union Pacific Railroad to resolve the final crossing in St. Joseph, considered an essential link for the trail’s continuity.
Construction of the remaining sections — including 8.4 miles of trail in Vermilion County and a half-mile in Urbana near Weaver Park — will commence in 2026.
The project is funded by an $11.2 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through the Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan. However, construction costs left a $1.8 million gap, and the Forest Preserve Friends Foundation has launched a fundraising campaign to secure the remaining funds by April 1, 2026. According to the CCFPD, without sufficient funds, “it is possible small sections of the trail will have to be completed after 2026.”
To donate, go here.
Construction on the Rail Trail began in 2016. Plans call for the trail to eventually expand into Danville.